Worse. And the charts you see are on-axis; off-axis isn't as good. Cabs should be crossed over no higher than 2kHz to either a midrange driver or a tweeter capable of going that low. Most commercial cabs don't because that would raise the price.

Worse. And the charts you see are on-axis; off-axis isn't as good. Cabs should be crossed over no higher than 2kHz to either a midrange driver or a tweeter capable of going that low. Most commercial cabs don't because that would raise the price.

I've had a bit more of a snoop around the Eminence site and I am intrigued to see drivers like the Kappalite 30xx series seem to have a 'flatter' response with less pronounced dips or peaks. Although these drivers have excellent sensitivity they are 'Recommended for vented professional audio enclosures' (not bass guitar).
The drivers recommended for bass (incl. the Kappalite 30xxLF series) have dips and peaks all over the shop!
What does the LF stand for?
Are the dips and peaks in the response curves desirable, or is it just that we are used to them?

e.g. evidently I don't like the sound of the dip at c.2kHz in a 4x10 cab and I assume that my EV-TL606 style 15" cab doesn't have this dip.

The EV does go higher than most fifteens. That's accomplished via very tight manufacturing tolerances, which also raises the driver cost. But that high frequency performance is only on-axis. High frequency dispersion is inversely proportional to driver size, so the only bit of audience that gets to hear those highs are those directly in front of the cab.

monster wrote:...drivers like the Kappalite 30xx series seem to have a 'flatter' response with less pronounced dips or peaks. Although these drivers have excellent sensitivity they are 'Recommended for vented professional audio enclosures' (not bass guitar).
The drivers recommended for bass (incl. the Kappalite 30xxLF series) have dips and peaks all over the shop!
What does the LF stand for?

LF stands for Low Frequency. These are not used in BFM Jack series bass cabs, but the HO series are and to very good effect. Jack Series cabs are vented.

The LFs are used in horn loaded subs which are sealed chamber cabs. They are also used in the BFM OMni series bass/keyboard/pa cabs, which are vented.

From what I can see you're getting the normal sharp rolloff around 2-3k from the LF driver, but this cab also has a horn which isn't taking over where the LF stops, so there's a bit of a gap between the two. Same thing would happen with a 2x12 or 1x15 if designed this way.

Seems strange that a "full range" cab would have a gap between the crossover points but this is only bad if you don't like the sound. A bass cab doesn't have to be flat and full range like a PA speaker unless you want it to be, but it sounds like you do so this is probably the wrong cab for you.

timi wrote:From what I can see you're getting the normal sharp rolloff around 2-3k from the LF driver, but this cab also has a horn which isn't taking over where the LF stops, so there's a bit of a gap between the two. Same thing would happen with a 2x12 or 1x15 if designed this way.

Most commercial cabs are designed that way, and have been since the first tweeters were used in bass cabs some 35 years ago. Why? As I already said, it's cheaper that way. The two highest rated brands to emerge in the last few years, Barefaced Bass and Baer Amplification, use real midrange drivers.

Question - monster,what type of cab(s) do you typically use or prefer ?
Harley was kind enough to visit me and gave me 2 BFM Jack 112 Lite cabs to try out,and Im blown away by this design.
My GB Uber 4x10 is great and I was pretty happy with it until Harley's visit .
Those 12'' driven Jack Lite cabs together would blow my cab away tbh and even a single cab would give the 4x10 a run for its money at near half the weight.
I have had 2 4x10 cabs with tweeters,cut the wires to the first one and the volume sits at 0 always on the one I use now,personally they offer nothing I want to hear.
As for the mid dip I bet I have just gotten used to the sound from a 4x10 ,and like everything in this game you dont know " if " your missing something until you try something else .

I am a great fan of Bergantino cabs. The new neo CN212 looks to be a great cab - light, flat and tight response and out shortly. I have had no problems importing these from Bass Gear Direct in Oz in the past and hope to be getting either a CN212 or the new Bergantino sealed 115 cab shortly. Welcome to listen when it arrives. I am a great fan of sealed fifteeen cabs for my purposes - it will be a tough decision. That said, buying a locally manufactured cab should make sounder economic sense, plus the added patriotism factor.

Chris wrote:Question - monster,what type of cab(s) do you typically use or prefer ?

I've not tried out many cabs, so my experience is limited, *but* I have a TL-606 cab with either an EV or Eminence 15" driver and I like this a lot. I used to have another one with a Blackwidow, but I didn't like the tone as much. The mids didn't seem very warm.
Other than this I have a very classic Jansen 2x12 which I wouldn't use for gigs.

My GB Uber 4x10 is great and I was pretty happy with it until Harley's visit .
Those 12'' driven Jack Lite cabs together would blow my cab away tbh and even a single cab would give the 4x10 a run for its money at near half the weight.
I have had 2 4x10 cabs with tweeters,cut the wires to the first one and the volume sits at 0 always on the one I use now,personally they offer nothing I want to hear.
As for the mid dip I bet I have just gotten used to the sound from a 4x10 ,and like everything in this game you dont know " if " your missing something until you try something else .

I've played through the SVT-Pro & 4x10 cab a number of times since November and the sound is by no means 'bad', but it was only at the last gig I found I got a tone I liked more when I used the graphic to boost @ 2kHz. Especially if I have a bit of drive from my modified Tubescreamer.

keen to hear your views after Harley's visit
the more I have thought about cabs since trying the BFM design,I concluded that that there is room for improvement in this department for me.
I have replaced or bought new pretty well everything over the last 5 years or so,basses,amps,effects,cabs,but in doing so I have still used a 4x10 as a cab for the last 15 years at least (with 2 great amps) but seem stuck on that principle when it comes to cabs,has to be 4x10,almost brainwashed myself I suppose.
Pretty happy with what I have now especially with the P bass in the fold (again strung with chrome flats) but always feel my sound is still not quite 100% to "my" ears,but very very close......and thanks to Harley's BFM demo I have been enlightened so to speak that maybe a single 4x10 is not that great after all,I just dug what tone those 12'' driven cabs can provide.